Fence Installation in Essex Fells, NJ

Essex Fells is the smallest borough in Essex County — a wooded, residential community of large lots and older homes tucked between Roseland, Caldwell and West Orange, where the streets wind and the trees do most of the screening. Its fence code is unlike any other town in the county: Essex Fells does not set fence heights by front, side and rear yards. It sets them by how open the fence is — the more solid the fence, the fewer places it may stand.

Solanos Fence installs vinyl, aluminum, WPC composite, wood, post-and-rail and chain link fencing in Essex Fells, NJ, and handles fence repair as well. We also sell fence materials for pickup at our Fairfield location. Essex Fells is part of our Essex County service area.

Essex Fells' Fence Rules: § 170-79

Essex Fells regulates fences in § 170-79  ("Fences or walls") of its zoning code (Chapter 170, Article X). A zoning permit is required for every fence or wall, the application includes a survey, and the zoning permit fee is $85  (§ 170-42C). The main rules:

  • Height is set by openness (§ 170-79C). The code sorts every fence into three types and caps each by where it may stand:
    • Solid  (50% or more solid) — maximum 6 feet, and only from the rear building line of the house to the side and rear lot lines. A solid fence may not stand forward of the rear building line at any height.
    • Semi-open  (25% up to 50% solid) — maximum 3 feet, from the front building line to the side and rear lot lines.
    • Open  (up to 25% solid) — maximum 3 feet, anywhere on the lot up to the lot lines. "Openness" is defined in the code as the total area of solid elements divided by the total area of the fence, and translucent or transparent plastic counts as solid. The code's own examples: Solid — solid picket, board, board and batten, louver panel, staggered board panel, brick; Semi-open — 1x2 wood screen, contemporary picket, cinder or concrete block laid on its side; Open — split rail, contemporary rail, wire mesh, rail and wire mesh.
  • The section reaches everything (§ 170-79A). Unless another ordinance specifically notes otherwise, § 170-79 applies to all fences, walls, retaining walls, hedges and other enclosures in every zoning district, and no new fence or change to an existing one may be made unless it complies with the chapter or the owner has secured a variance from the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment.
  • Zoning permit for every fence, survey included (§ 170-79I). A zoning permit is required for the erection or installation of all fences and walls — and no building permit is required solely by virtue of erecting a fence or wall. The application must include a survey showing the location of the proposed fence and the location of all proposed gates. The fee is $85  (§ 170-42C; the Borough's Zoning Permit Application states the same fee).
  • Keep ten feet off the street (§ 170-79E). No fence may be placed within 10 feet of a curbline or the edge of a paved roadway, in a public right-of-way without the governing body's express written consent, or in any required sight triangle or easement. Within a corner sight triangle — measured 30 feet along each curbline from the intersection — nothing may exceed 2 feet 6 inches above curb grade, and required sight easements must stay free of obstructions above two feet.
  • Corner lots (§ 170-79D). Both street frontages carry front-yard limitations. One exception: a fence up to four feet, set back at least 15 feet from the property line, on one frontage only, screened by densely planted evergreens maintained so that the fence is not visible from either street.
  • Finished side out, posts evenly spaced. The finished side of a fence — the side opposite the posts, rails and supporting boards — must face outward, toward the adjacent properties or the street, and fences must be symmetrical in appearance, with posts separated by identical distances and material conforming to a definite pattern or size. Height is measured from the lowest point of the undisturbed ground under the fence.
  • Prohibited fences. Barbed-wire, spiked, cloth, chipped-glass, electrically charged and poultry-netting fences are prohibited, as are temporary fences such as snow, expandable and collapsible fences, except during construction. (Poultry netting and deer fencing are allowed for protecting gardens and plantings, under the standards in the code.)
  • Gates (§ 170-79F). No gate may exceed eight feet at its highest point, and no part of a gate that is less than 50% open may rise above the maximum height set for fences. A gate opening to a public road must stand at least 25 feet from the edge of the pavement on roads posted at 35 mph or more, and 20 feet on other public roads.
  • Piers and pillars (§ 170-79G). A pier, pillar or post that forms part of a fence may rise no more than one foot above the height of the fence it is part of, and in no event more than 8.5 feet high. Piers, pillars and/or posts shall not be spaced less than 20 feet apart  (center line to center line), and none may be wider than 12½% of the distance to the closest adjacent pier, pillar or post.
  • Deer fencing is its own category (§ 170-79H). Open fencing designed to repel deer may be installed in rear and side yards only, up to eight feet high, in black polypropylene only  (or metal core covered in black polypropylene), on black posts, and it may not be visible from any street. A permit is required, and a sample of the material must be submitted to the Building Inspector for approval.
  • Pools (§ 252-2). Every permanent private swimming pool must be completely surrounded by a fence, wall or other enclosure at least four feet high, with no openings, holes or gaps larger than four inches in any dimension  (except doors and gates), and a picket fence's horizontal dimension may not exceed four inches. A house or accessory building may form part of the enclosure. Gates must meet the same specifications and carry approved locking and latching devices, and must be locked at all times when the pool is not in actual use. Read the pool note in the styles section below: § 170-79's own table contains no pool exception, so a pool enclosure's design is confirmed with the Borough on the zoning permit.
  • Keep it in good repair (§ 170-79J). Every fence or wall must be maintained in a safe, sound and upright condition; a fence that is not can be ordered repaired or removed within 15 days of the Borough's written notice.

Borough reference: Borough of Essex Fells Code, § 170-79 — Fences or walls(ecode360 library ES2826); pool fencing at Chapter 252, § 252-2.

Fencing Essex Fells Properties

An Essex Fells project starts with a classification, not a measurement: is the fence you want Solid, Semi-open or Open? Solid fences are capped at six feet but only behind the house, and Solid and Semi-open start at different building lines: a six-foot privacy run reaches only from the rear building line of the house back to the side and rear lot lines, at up to six feet. Forward of that line the cap drops to three feet, and which types fit depends on the second line: between the front building line and the rear building line, a fence may be Semi-open or Open; forward of the front building line — the street-facing part of the yard — only an Open fence fits, because the table gives Open fences the "anywhere on the lot" allowance and starts Semi-open fences at the front building line. Either way, no fence of any type may come within ten feet of a curbline or the edge of a paved roadway, and corner lots carry the 30-foot sight triangle with its two-and-a-half-foot cap on both streets.

The permit is part of the design work here: the zoning permit application includes a survey showing the fence and every gate location, so the layout has to be settled before the application, not after. Gates have their own rules (eight feet maximum, and set back 20 to 25 feet from the pavement where they open to a road), piers and pillars are regulated on their spacing, and a pool enclosure has to satisfy Chapter 252's four-foot, four-inch-opening standard on top of the fence section — § 170-79's table states no pool exception, so we confirm the enclosure design with the Borough on the permit rather than assuming it. During a free estimate we walk the lot with you, mark the rear building line — the line that decides where a solid fence may start — check the street setbacks and any corner condition, and classify each run before we talk about styles. Anything not settled above is confirmed per property at permit time.

Fence Styles for Essex Fells Homes

White Vinyl Privacy Fencing

White vinyl privacy fencing is a Solid fence under § 170-79 — 50% or more solid — so in Essex Fells it is a rear-yard fence only: our standard panels, six feet high by eight feet wide with 2-inch by 7-inch rails, fit exactly at the Solid cap of six feet behind the rear building line of the house, running to the side and rear lot lines. No solid fence may stand forward of that line at any height — there is no four-foot solid front-yard allowance here the way some neighboring towns have. Vinyl is finished the same on both sides, which satisfies the finished-side rule automatically. If your goal is privacy along a side line that runs forward of the house, Essex Fells' answer is a three-foot Semi-open or Open fence, or a variance — we will show you exactly where the rear building line falls on your lot during the estimate. (A hedge is not a workaround: § 170-79A regulates hedges as enclosures too.)

Black Aluminum Fencing

Black aluminum fencing is an Open fence — well under 25% solid — so under the § 170-79 table it is capped at three feet anywhere on the lot. Around pools, a second rule governs: Chapter 252 (§ 252-2) requires every permanent private pool to be completely surrounded by an enclosure at least four feet high with openings no larger than four inches — and our 54-inch pool-barrier style, with its 3.75-inch picket spacing, is built to those numbers. The two chapters do not reconcile themselves on the page: § 170-79 caps an open fence at three feet and states no pool exception, while § 252-2 sets a four-foot floor for pool enclosures. So in Essex Fells we quote pool enclosures by free estimate and confirm the design with the Borough on the zoning permit — survey, gate locations and all — before presenting the 54-inch style as compliant for your property. As anywhere, compliance is judged on the complete installed barrier, gates included.

WPC Composite, Wood, Post-and-Rail and Chain Link

WPC composite fencing in black, teak or gray is a solid panel fence, so it follows the vinyl rule: rear yard only, behind the rear building line, up to six feet. Wood is where Essex Fells' system opens up — the code's own examples put contemporary picket in Semi-open and split rail in Open, so a wood fence can be designed to the three-foot front and side areas as well as the rear yard. Post-and-rail is an Open style, at home on the borough's large wooded lots within the three-foot cap. Chain link is not named in § 170-79 at all; the closest listed type, wire mesh, is an Open example — so a mesh fence in Essex Fells is a three-foot fence, not a six-foot one. We price these styles after reviewing your footage, gates and terrain.

Fence Installation Prices in Essex Fells

Current installation specials start at $23 per linear foot for six-foot white vinyl privacy fencing and $28 per linear foot for 54-inch black aluminum pool-barrier fencing. Minimum project is 150 ft, and both offers apply within our service area. Gates and removal of an existing fence are not included — they are priced separately  (gates from $500 for a single gate and from $1,000 for a double gate). In Essex Fells, read the specials against § 170-79: the six-foot vinyl price applies to rear-yard runs behind the rear building line of the house only — forward of that line the Borough allows only three-foot Semi-open or Open fences. Pool enclosures are quoted after the design is confirmed with the Borough on the zoning permit, because Chapter 252 sets a four-foot minimum for the enclosure while the fence table caps an open fence at three feet. Every fence in the borough also needs the $85 zoning permit, with a survey showing the fence and gate locations.

See our fence installation deals for current terms.

Fence Materials for Essex Fells DIY Projects

Installing it yourself? Our Fairfield shop stocks white vinyl panels and posts, black aluminum panels and posts, and WPC packages. Bring your measurements or a copy of your survey — the Borough's zoning permit application needs a survey showing the fence and all gate locations anyway — and we can help build a materials list that respects the openness table: solid material only behind the rear building line, three-foot Semi-open or Open material between the front and rear building lines, Open material only forward of the front building line, and nothing within ten feet of the curbline. One caution before you buy: the permit and the survey come first in Essex Fells, for a DIY fence exactly as for one we install. Call ahead to confirm stock and pickup.

Browse fence materials for sale.

Frequently Asked Questions About Fences in Essex Fells

How tall can a fence be in Essex Fells?

It depends on how open the fence is, not on the yard (§ 170-79C). A Solid  fence (50% or more solid) may reach six feet, but only from the rear building line of the house to the side and rear lot lines. Semi-open  fences (25% to 50% solid) and Open  fences (up to 25% solid) are capped at three feet. Height is measured from the lowest point of the undisturbed ground under the fence. Deer fencing is its own category: rear and side yards only, up to eight feet, black polypropylene only.

Can I have a privacy fence in my front yard?

No. A solid fence may not stand forward of the rear building line of the house at any height in Essex Fells. Between the front building line and the rear building line, fences are limited to Semi-open or Open at a maximum of three feet; forward of the front building line, only an Open fence fits, also at three feet. The one exception to the front-yard limits is on corner lots (below). Anything beyond the table requires a variance from the Planning Board or Zoning Board of Adjustment (§ 170-79A).

Do I need a permit for a fence in Essex Fells?

Yes — a zoning permit, for every fence or wall (§ 170-79I). No building permit is required solely by virtue of erecting a fence or wall. The application must include a survey showing the location of the proposed fence and the location of all proposed gates, and the zoning permit fee is $85  (§ 170-42C; the Borough's Zoning Permit Application states the same fee). Deer fencing needs its own permit, with a sample of the material submitted to the Building Inspector.

I have a corner lot — what changes?

Both street frontages carry front-yard limitations (§ 170-79D), and within the sight triangle at the corner — 30 feet along each curbline — no fence may exceed 2 feet 6 inches above curb grade. The single exception: a fence up to four feet, set back at least 15 feet from the property line, on one frontage only, screened by dense evergreens maintained so the fence is not visible from either street. Required sight easements must also stay free of obstructions above two feet.

What are Essex Fells' pool fence rules?

Chapter 252 (§ 252-2): every permanent private swimming pool must be completely surrounded by a fence, wall or other enclosure at least four feet high, constructed so there are no openings, holes or gaps larger than four inches in any dimension  (except doors and gates), with a picket fence's horizontal dimension no more than four inches. A house or accessory building may form part of the enclosure. Gates must meet the same specifications, carry approved locking and latching devices, and be locked at all times when the pool is not in actual use. Note the interaction with the fence code: § 170-79's table caps an Open fence at three feet and states no pool exception, so we confirm a pool enclosure's design with the Borough on the zoning permit before quoting it as compliant.

Can I install deer fencing in Essex Fells?

Yes, under its own rules (§ 170-79H): rear and side yards only, up to eight feet, black polypropylene only  (or a metal core covered in black polypropylene), supported by black posts, not attached to trees, with no caps, rails or decorative material at the top — and it may not be visible from any street. A permit is required and a sample of the material goes to the Building Inspector for approval. We don't install deer fencing, but the rule matters if you're planning one alongside a fence project.

Do you offer payment plans?

No, we don't offer payment plans.

Request a Free Fence Estimate in Essex Fells, NJ

Call 973-220-7638 or contact Solanos Fence online. Tell us your approximate footage, the style you're considering, whether your lot is a corner lot, and whether a pool is involved — we'll plan the next steps around your property and Essex Fells' rules. You can also see everywhere we work on our Essex County fence page.

Solanos Fence| 1275 Bloomfield Ave, Building 3 Suite 51, Fairfield, NJ 07004 | 973-220-7638 | NJ Home Improvement Contractor Registration #13VH06388200